Lead saddle assemblies generally comprise two or more wires of a relatively short length which are temporarily or permanently secured to, and in an array with, each other on a base. The base, or lead saddle, provides a connection for presenting the leads as a group to an appliance or fixture to which the leads are to be connected, the other ends of the leads then being available for connection to corresponding conductors. In many applications four, six or more leads are secured to the base and are held as a lead saddle assembly for connection to the appliance or fixture. If the wire leads were not so secured, the wiring of the appliance or fixture would be much more time consuming.
Various lead saddles have been provided in the past. Some of these utilize staples, as by stapling the leads to a paper or sheet material base. Others use stitching, such as of thread to secure the leads to the base, or adhesive tape to secure the leads to the base.
Depending upon the type of insulation on the wire leads, a tape backing may be suitably welded or fused to the insulation of the leads to provide a saddle for the leads. Lead saddle assemblies of this type are presently available on the market and are made in devices using welders which weld a single tape disposed between a cathode and an anode to juxtaposed leads insulated with thermoplastic insulation. By utilizing a fusible tape which fuses to the thermoplastic insulation of a lead, a relatively permanent lead saddle assembly has been provided. Lead saddle assemblies of this type are efficient and effective, are easier to make than those requiring stapling, stitching or the like, and do not so impair or endanger the insulation that short circuits or the like might result. For example, in stapled lead saddles, sometimes the staple and the conductor come into contact, presenting obvious problems.
However, for conductive leads which utilize a high temperature thermoset insulation, it is not possible to fuse a fusible tape and the insulation to each other, so this type of lead saddle is not effective for high temperature use.